NBC's 'Problem Child' Reboot Picked Up to Pilot

The network on Thursday handed out a pilot order to the comedy inspired by the 1990 John Ritter film of the same name, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

From writer Scot Armstrong (The Hangover II, Old School, Road Trip), the half-hour single-camera comedy is described as a family show about the cast-and-mouse game between a set of parents and their brilliant but mischievous child.

The comedy, which landed at the network in September with a script order, will be executive produced by Armstrong, Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan via their Universal Television-based TBD Productions. Imagine Television's Brian Grazer and Robert Simonds, who produced the original Universal Pictures film written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, will also be credited as an EP. Simonds executive produces via STX Entertainment.

For Traugott and Kaplan, this marks the duo's second pilot order of the season. It joins Fox family comedy 48 Hours 'Til Monday.

Overall, Problem Child becomes the fourth film-to-TV take to earn a pilot order this season and the first at NBC. CBS has Rush Hour and Limitless, while Fox has Minority Report, with original producers involved in all of them.

This marks the second pilot season in a row that NBC has looked to a Universal feature for comedy. Last year, the network went to pilot on a remake of Tom Hanks and Shelley Long's The Money Pit, but ultimately pushed the multicamera comedy after problems finding a lead.

Overall, Problem Child is NBC's 12th comedy pilot pickup of the season, off six from a year ago. It comes as NBC currently has a similarly themed remake of About a Boy on its schedule from Parenthood producer Jason Katims.

Armstrong, meanwhile, is also an EP on the USA Network comedy Playing House, which was recently renewed for a second season.